Malfoy's Struggle With Love
by Bindy Malfoy
Summary: Malfoy's feelings for Hermione are finally unleashed, but will she love him back, or walk away?


***** Draco Malfoy stepped off the train and walked to the castle with Crabbe and Goyle. He had spent his whole summer trying to contact Hermione but hadn't had any luck reaching her. It was mostly because he had been locked in his room all summer because he had once again failed to lead Slytherin into victory. His father was furious.  
  
So Draco walked up the stairs and sat down at the Slytherin table. He turned to Goyle and said, "Wonder where Potter and Granger are." Goyle shrugged; Malfoy looked at Crabbe, who also shrugged. Malfoy sighed. He wasn't sure he wanted anyone to know he liked Hermione; he knew that if anyone else found out, they'd blab. Of course, the Slytherins wouldn't blab, but Potter and Weasley would have something to tease him about. And he definitely knew that Hermione was out of his league. His father would be angry with a Pureblood (Malfoy) liking a Mudblood (Hermione). And Hermione would just stare at Draco and walk away. He'd be a laughingstock, and the Malfoy name would be ruined (if it already hadn't).  
  
Draco watched eagerly as Ron entered and sat down at his table. He saw Harry follow, but no Hermione. His eagerness eventually faded as the first- years arrived. Dumbledore gave his beginning of the year speech, and then the food once again appeared in front of them. Draco could not eat; he was so deeply in love with Hermione and she wasn't there to cheer him up (if that's what it was).  
  
Eventually the students were sent to their dormitories. Draco sulked off to the Slytherin House while Ron and Harry walked to theirs. Draco was upset and felt a new feeling in his stomach. It felt like the ground suddenly gave way beneath him and he fell. His stomach knotted up and he felt like this was the end. He was a body without a soul or heart. They had been ripped out of his chest and stomped on. The only thing was, nobody noticed the change in his behaviour...  
  
Until the first Quidditch match of the year. Slytherins vs. Gryffindor. Malfoy would normally have violently played, but this time he played a fair game. The Slytherins once again lost, but to Draco it didn't matter. This shocking change in behaviour left students confused, especially Ron, Harry, and all the Gryffindors and Slytherins.  
  
"What's with you?" asked Marcus Flint, the captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team, after the game. "You were terrible." "Oh," began Malfoy. "I was, uh, a bit off today. Sorry." Normally Malfoy would have replied with something like, "It was Potter's fault."  
  
That night at dinner, he looked around the Gryffindor table but once again saw no Hermione. He almost lost himself in dreams of him and Hermione together until he knocked over his water and got his clothes soaked, and even then he didn't notice. Once again it was time for bed, and there was no Hermione.  
  
That night, he was visited in his dreams by none other than Hermione. He was flying on his Nimbus 200, playing Quidditch, beating Harry and gaining on the Snitch. He could see Hermione in the stands, cheering him on. He flew over to the stands, kissed her (on the lips), and flew in front of Harry and grabbed the Snitch. He heard Hermione yell, "He did it! Hooray!" Even Ron was cheering him on and booing Harry.  
  
Of course, it was only a dream. If only it was real. That was Malfoy's one wish. Riches and power were great for awhile, but now the one thing he needed more than ever was a girlfriend, someone to love and cherish, someone to hold, someone to call his own. But that was a fantasy to him. That would never happen. People only saw him for his looks, money, and power. They never saw the beautiful face behind the rich mask.  
  
He got up and walked to the Slytherin Common Room. He sat down and began to write a letter. If he couldn't send Hermione an owl during the summer, he could at least do it at school. He began to write, something casual but slightly romantic, something that would seem like him being nice, but not too opposite from his old behaviour.  
  
He wrote, and it seemed like hours (it probably was), and then he crumpled up the parchment and tossed it. He began again, and didn't finish until the first fragment of light the next morning. He was ready to fall asleep when he realised it was time for breakfast. He grabbed the letter and hurried off to eat.  
  
He ate quickly that morning, and then hurried off to the library. Hermione could have been there for awhile. He was right-he had never noticed her before. She was sitting at a table, her face in a book, the golden sunlight shining on her and her only. He wanted to walk over to her, to just casually talk to her, but he couldn't. He could just drop the letter and hope she picked it up, but it was too risky. Someone else could find it. He could give it to her, but it was still too embarrassing.  
  
He walked over to a shelf of books near Hermione and began searching for any book. He was actually hoping Hermione would glance up at him, but she was too busy reading. He stared at her until he thought he was beginning to drool. He turned around and knocked a few books over by accident. She looked up at him. She was shocked to see him in the library. He picked up the books and forced a smile. She went back to reading until Ron and Harry rushed in. Draco's hands turned to fists. He would have loved to punch Ron and Harry for arriving at this time. He wanted to be alone with Hermione. Ron, Harry and Hermione looked over at him. Ron said something, and the three of them began to laugh.  
  
This made Draco angry. Of all the people that saw him as a snob, those three were the worst. If he was even a little nicer towards them they would all spread rumours about him. He walked off, happy and sad. Happy to know Hermione had been here the whole time and sad to know that they didn't see him as anything but a rich snob who's extremely hot (not in their eyes).  
  
He stared at Hermione in all of Potions, and knocked over a beaker filled with PolyJuice Potion (they were taking notes on it). Snape didn't care. He said Harry knocked it over while trying to get Malfoy's attention. "No, Professor," said Malfoy. "It wasn't Potter. I knocked it over. By mistake." The class gasped. Snape looked at Malfoy in confusion. Harry looked at Malfoy, Ron and Hermione, too. Snape walked over to the desk and said, "Very well, then. If you say so, Mr. Malfoy."  
  
In Care of Magical Creatures, nobody paid attention to Hagrid's lecture on Unicorns. They had all been taught about them a few years ago, and they were all busy gossiping about Malfoy's kindness towards Harry. Harry, Ron and Hermione walked over to Malfoy. Malfoy's legs felt like jelly, his arms shook, muscles twitched. He felt soothed by tons of emotions, but he only listened to one: love.  
  
"Why did you do that?" asked Harry. There was a demanding tone in his voice. He seemed angry, confused, shocked, misunderstanding. "You didn't mean to do that."  
  
There was long silence.  
  
"Did you?" asked Harry. "No way," whispered Ron, loud enough though that Draco could hear. "He's not that nice." "Did you?" repeated Harry. Malfoy stared at the ground, then looked up at them and then said to Harry, "Yeah, I did." He walked off towards the castle. No one stopped him. It wouldn't have mattered anyways; class was just about over.  
  
"Wow," said Ron. Hermione looked at Harry. Then she watched Malfoy run off back to the castle, and she suddenly realised she may have had feelings for him, too.  
  
***** 


End file.
